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Bible Dictionaries
Witness
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words
or (whence Eng., "martyr," one who bears "witness" by his death) denotes "one who can or does aver what he has seen or heard or knows;" it is used (a) of God, Romans 1:9; 2 Corinthians 1:23; Philippians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 2:5,10 (2nd part); (b) of Christ, Revelation 1:5; 3:14; (c) of those who "witness" for Christ by their death, Acts 22:20; Revelation 2:13; Revelation 17:6; (d) of the interpreters of God's counsels, yet to "witness" in Jerusalem in the times of the Antichrist, Revelation 11:3; (e) in a forensic sense, Matthew 18:16; 26:65; Mark 14:63; Acts 6:13; 7:58; 2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19; Hebrews 10:28; (f) in a historical sense, Luke 11:48; 24:48; Acts 1:8,22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39,41; 13:31; 22:15; 26:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:10 (1st part); 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:2; Hebrews 12:1 , "(a cloud) of witnesses," here of those mentioned in ch. 11, those whose lives and actions testified to the worth and effect of faith, and whose faith received "witness" in Scripture; 1 Peter 5:1 .
"testimony, a bearing witness," is translated "witness" in Mark 14:55,56,59; Luke 22:71; John 1:7,19 (RV); 3:11,32,33 (RV); 5:31,32,34 (RV),36; RV in 8:13,14,17; 19:35; 21:24; AV in Titus 1:13; AV and RV in 1 John 5:9 (thrice), 10 (1st part); RV in 1 John 5:10 (2nd part),11; 3 John 12 : see TESTIMONY , No. 2.
"testimony or witness as borne, a declaration of facts," is translated "witness" in Matthew 24:14 , AV; Acts 4:33; 7:44 (AV); James 5:3 (AV): see TESTIMONY , No. 1.
denotes "a false witness," Matthew 26:60; 1 Corinthians 15:15 .
"false witness," occurs in Matthew 15:19; 26:59 .
denotes (I) "to be a martus" (see A, No. 1), or "to bear witness to," sometimes rendered "to testify" (see TESTIFY , No. 1); it is used of the "witness" (a) of God the Father to Christ, John 5:32,37; 8:18 (2nd part); 1 John 5:9,10; to others, Acts 13:22; 15:8; Hebrews 11:2,4 (twice),5,39; (b) of Christ, John 3:11,32; 4:44; 5:31; 7:7; 8:13,14,18 (1st part); 13:21; 18:37; Acts 14:3; 1 Timothy 6:13; Revelation 22:18,20; of the Holy Spirit, to Christ, John 15:26; Hebrews 10:15; 1 John 5:7,8 , RV, which rightly omits the latter part of ver. 7 (it was a marginal gloss which crept into the original text: see THREE); it finds no support in Scripture; (c) of the Scriptures, to Christ, John 5:39; Hebrews 7:8,17; (d) of the works of Christ, to Himself, and of the circumstances connected with His Death, John 5:36; 10:25; 1 John 5:8; (e) of prophets and apostles, to the righteousness of God, Romans 3:21; to Christ, John 1:7,8,15,32,34; 3:26; 5:33 , RV; 15:27; 19:35; 21:24; Acts 10:43; 23:11; 1 Corinthians 15:15; 1 John 1:2; 4:14; Revelation 1:2; to doctrine, Acts 26:22 (in some texts, so AV; see No. 2); to the Word of God, Revelation 1:2; (f) of others, concerning Christ, Luke 4:22; John 4:39; 12:17; (g) of believers to one another, John 3:28; 2 Corinthians 8:3; Galatians 4:15; Colossians 4:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:11 (in some texts: see No. 2); 3 John 1:3,6,12 (2nd part); (h) of the Apostle Paul concerning Israel, Romans 10:2; (i) of an angel, to the churches, Revelation 22:16; (j) of unbelievers concerning themselves, Matthew 23:31; concerning Christ, John 18:23; concerning others, John 2:25; Acts 22:5; 26:5; (II) "to give a good report, to approve of," Acts 6:3; 10:22; 16:2; 22:12; 1 Timothy 5:10; 3 John 1:12 (1st part); some would put Luke 4:22 here.
strictly meaning "to summon as a witness," signifies "to affirm solemnly, adjure," and is used in the Middle Voice only, rendered "to testify" in Acts 20:26 , RV (AV, "I take ... to record"); 26:22, RV, in the best texts [see No. 1 (e)]; Galatians 5:3; Ephesians 4:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:11 , in the best texts [see No. 1 (g)].
denotes "to bear witness with" (sun), Romans 2:15; 8:16; 9:1 .
denotes "to join in bearing witness with others," Hebrews 2:4 .
denotes "to witness against" (kata), Matthew 26:62; 27:13; Mark 14:60 (in some mss., Mark 15:4 , for kategoreo, "to accuse," RV).
"to bear false witness" (pseudes, "false"), occurs in Matthew 19:18; Mark 10:19; 14:56,57; Luke 18:20; in some texts, Romans 13:9 .
denotes "without witness" (a, negative, and martus), Acts 14:17 .
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Vines, W. E., M. A. Entry for 'Witness'. Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ved/w/witness.html. 1940.
